1. Field
The described technology relates generally to a dryer for an electrode substrate of a rechargeable battery, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A dryer for an electrode substrate of a rechargeable battery is used to dry an active material coated on the electrode substrate. For example, the dryer for the electrode substrate transfers an increased temperature of a sheath heater as hot air into a drying oven using a supply fan so as to dry the active material of the electrode substrate.
For example, an N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)-based active material is used in a negative electrode substrate, and an aqueous active material is used in a negative electrode substrate. During drying, the aqueous active material coated to the negative electrode substrate consumes a large amount of heat. Thus, the dryer for the electrode substrate may be formed by selectively combining an auxiliary sheath heater or an infrared ray lamp to the hot-air method.
For example, the dryer for the electrode substrate is provided with guide rolls for transferring the electrode substrate. The guide rolls are fixed to an inner wall of the dryer. The electrode substrate may be disconnected in an initial stage during which the electrode substrate is first supplied to the dryer for the electrode substrate or in a drying process, and in this case, the disconnected electrode substrate should be connected from an inlet of the dryer to an outlet of the dryer in order to transfer and dry the electrode substrate between the inlet and the outlet.
For example, the electrode substrate may be moved from the inlet to the outlet by providing a guide rail in the inner wall of the dryer or using a sprocket and a chain so as to connect the electrode substrate from the inlet to the outlet.
That is, an additional guide rail should be provided or the sprocket and the chain should be provided to connect the electrode substrate from the inlet to the outlet. Accordingly, connection of the electrode substrate from the inlet to the outlet is inconvenient.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.